Overview and design
When you think of All-in-One PCs you typically envision ugly, hulking machines that look more like furnaces than computers. However, the All-in-One market has matured in recent years and manufacturers are innovating to make them sexier, smaller and more affordable.
All-in-Ones like Lenovo's IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC and HP's Z1 G2 have elevated the field, forcing brands to think outside the box for innovation. In comes Lenovo.
Lenovo's ThinkCentre Tiny-in-One 23 (starting at $349, £221, AU$400) is a no-frills All-in-One 23-inch PC monitor that gives businesses the ability to swap in and swap out Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny PCs without much hassle. The Tiny-in-One sports a full HD screen at 1920 X 1080 resolution and four USB ports, including two that are front-facing.
Design
The Tiny-in-One is built with a Sandwich VESA mount that enables quick and simple PC replacement. Within one minute, I was able to open a side latch, undo the three-way port connector that attached the PC to the monitor and then push the PC out of the VESA slot.
This design makes it much easier and more affordable to replace an entire All-in-One PC fleet when you decide to upgrade under the hood. Additionally, IT can more easily move employee desks, and workers can take their work computer wherever they go (so long as Tiny-in-One monitors await them when they arrive).
If you enjoy having multiple displays you'll enjoy being able to use the Tiny's inputs to go multi-screen. You can use the monitor to present three separate displays (four if you're in Mosaic). And because the monitor runs Energy Star certified, you'll use only 90 watts on 87% power supply.
If you're worried about how easy it is for thieves to pop out a Tiny PC from the monitor, don't fret: a Kensington, Smart USB or Bluetooth lock can secure both the monitor and the PC.
Major issues and early verdict
Unfortunately, the design only works with Lenovo's current ThinkCentre Tiny PCs (starting at an additional $249, £157, AU$285) , so you're married to Lenovo if you decide to make this your monitor fleet.
That isn't the only issue you'll have with this monitor. For starters, it doesn't offer touchscreen functionality. Forget using Windows 8 or Windows 10. You're stuck with your traditional mouse and keyboard usage for the time being when all of your competitors will be upgrading to more advanced and forward-looking navigation.
Even though the monitor comes with a slot for webcams, it doesn't offer any audio or video/photo support. The slot is simply there to remind you that your monitor can't do much but accept small form-factor Lenovo Tiny PCs.
And when I say it can't do much, it can't do much. With companies now offering affordable 4K displays, you'll feel cheated using this 1920 X 1080 monitor, especially for 350 bucks. When I got to inspect this monitor, Lenovo didn't have it turned on, so I can't say with any certainty that it is or isn't a mediocre display compared to other monitors on the market.
However, with a 5-millisecond response time and only 16.7 million colors, this isn't exactly the kind of monitor you'd buy to play FIFA 15 on.
But I guess that isn't the point.
Early verdict
The Lenovo ThinkCentre Tiny-in-One 23 is meant to be convenient and to take up little space in an office environment. Tasks accomplished. I'm just not sure anyone is going to want to shell out the money to see this All-in-One in use.
from TechRadar: Technology reviews http://ift.tt/1pSGPZi
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